Joe Powell, CRNA, was honored this afternoon as the 2018 Phoebe Advanced Practice Provider (APP) of the Year. Advanced Practice Providers (APP) play an integral role in providing care to patients in the inpatient and outpatient settings. APP is often used when referring to highly-trained healthcare professionals such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants who are certified to perform many of the same tasks as a doctor and work under the close supervision of a physician.
The award honors an APP who exemplifies a compassionate commitment to improving the health and well-being of southwest Georgians. Powell is a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) and works in the operating room at Phoebe’s main campus.
According to one nomination letter, “Joe is a dedicated professional with many decades of experience in the healthcare field. He is a team player with excellent skills and an advocate for safe and quality care to our patients.”
Powell earned his bachelor’s degree in nursing from Valdosta State University. He then began working in the emergency room and in ICU at South Georgia Medical Center. After eight years, he decided to go back to school in Durham, NC to become a CRNA. He worked at Tanner Medical Center for seven years before moving to Albany. Powell transitioned to Phoebe in 2001 after nine years at the former HCA Palmyra Medical Center.
Over the years, Powell has served as a mentor for newer anesthetists and students who pass through the department. “I grew up seeing the amount of love, devotion, and care he had for his job. This was in part due to wanting to take care of his family (which he did above and beyond) but he also has a true passion for what he does. He was always taking students out to eat and having them over to the house for dinner. Not because he had to but because he cared so much about what it is he did and loved helping people grow in the right direction inside and outside of work,” said Ronald Odom, CRNA.
In addition to his work at Phoebe, Powell is a valued member of the community – volunteering at many charitable organizations. After the storms in January 2017, he used his culinary skills to provide food for hundreds of those affected. He goes above and beyond for his family, coworkers and his patients.
Powell is the first recipient of the Phoebe Physicians APP of the Year award. Recipients are chosen by a committee from nominations made by patients, community members, and fellow employees throughout the health system. More than 180 total APPs were nominated.
“There’s nobody on that team that I wouldn’t want to have any of my family members anesthetized by. It’s the greatest job in the world. I say all the time, ‘I can’t believe they pay me for this.’ And my cohorts usually say, ‘I can’t either,” said Powell.